Thursday, December 16, 2010

New Year's Specs

So you're one of those menswear geeks who asked Santa for some new trousers. Or maybe you find a little extra cash in that stocking of yours, which is immediately funneled into that "to-tailor" pile building up in your closet (I see you, Doc Hu). I don't know about you, but I like a very specific look to my trousers, perfectly illustrated by the picture seen below courtesy of my friends the Ovadia brothers - little to no break, 7"-8" leg opening and a 1.75"-2" cuff. I find that this produces the best looking and fitting trouser, at least for me. Now, this is obviously not some concrete rule or anything, just my personal preference and something to consider if you haven't already. In fact, I think that most guys can find the perfect look for them residing within the confines of the range of measurements listed above. If you like what you see then try taking a crack at it. If not, then forget I even mentioned it. Ultimately, if your list of new year's resolutions includes "getting dapper" (along with "lose ten pounds" and "avoid all sexual harassment charges at work") these are some specs you may want to consider.

I often come away from posts like this (which I love) asking, "But WHY does this produce 'the best looking and fitting trouser'?" I mean, the answer could just be, "Because I think it looks nice" and that's fine. Personal preference is just dandy.

But is there something more going on her? Something more "mechanical" about these elements (smaller opening, bigger cuffs) or some ratio aspect that contributes to a better look? Or is it just a matter of aesthetics?

"This is good" is great for copying, but the "why" actually teaches, ya know?

Doug- Why? Simply because, this specific aesthetic appeals to me. It is classic, yet updated in terms of fit. The end result is, what I believe, a great looking silhouette. Clean, straight lines are flattering on all guys (once again, my opinion) and these measurements produce that.

Ha! You confirm my own taste, I've been using a 7 1/2" ankle, with or without cuffs for a few years now.

This looks best on trousers that are already slim cut. Any trousers with even a modestly full cut will need to be tapered almost their whole length, something I have had trouble convincing my alterationist. Is alterationist a word?

Wow 7" leg opening, that is pretty slim. I usually rock a 7.5" and have a few ay 7.25" but at that point it gets hard to get the leg over the calf to put on socks. Still, that's some impressive specs Ovadia Bros. Best menswear line I've only seen on the internets.

I just ordered a pair of those LL Bean Town & Field wool trousers you posted about a while back, haven't received them yet to try them on, but I'm assuming they're gonna be pretty damn full in the leg. Did you get yours tailored to these specs? Did you need to have them tapered the whole length?

Great post. It's very difficult to find trousers with 7-7.5 inch openings. I just bought a pair from Epaulet and they have 8 inch openings...which i find to be slightly wider than I like. I actually think the perfect fitting pants are the WWM herringbone ranger pants. Do you know any other brands that have this slim of a leg opening and don't cost an insane amount of money? Also, do you have any idea how much the Ovadia & Sons pants will run and what the specific specs are (i.e. thigh, knee and rise)?